Egyptian journalists accused of 'insulting armed forces'

New York, March 9, 2012--Egyptian authorities should immediately
dismiss a baseless complaint of antistate activities that has been lodged against
several journalists, the
Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The case has been referred to
military prosecutors as part of a broader practice that has raised
constitutional and international concerns.

The complaint names four current journalists among a number of
other government critics, accusing them of "inciting the downfall of the state"
and "insulting the armed forces," news reports said. The
complainant, a little-known figure named Mohamed Salah Zaghloul, has submitted numerous vague complaints against
government critics over the past year, CPJ research shows. On Wednesday,
public prosecutor Abdel Maguid Mahmoud referred the complaint to military
prosecutors.

The reporters--Reem Maged and Yosri Fouda, who work for the
privately owned satellite broadcaster ONTV, and bloggers Alaa Abd el-Fattah and
Nawara Negm--have been repeatedly targeted by Egyptian authorities for
harassment, CPJ research shows. The journalists are among 12 prominent figures
identified in the complaint; all have been critical of the ruling military
council.

Egyptian authorities have not disclosed any formal charges as yet
in connection with the new complaint. The other individuals targeted in the
complaint include presidential contender and veteran journalist Buthayna Kamel;
novelist and opposition figure
Alaa al-Aswany; Member of Parliament Zyad el-Elaimy; and activists and leading opposition figures Wael
Ghonim, Asmaa Mahfouz, George Ishaq, Sameh Naguib, and Mamdouh Hamza. They have
also been subjected to sustained smear campaigns and baseless criminal
complaints, CPJ research found.

The Military Justice Code states that
civilians may be tried in a military court if the alleged offense involves
military officers or was committed in an area under military jurisdiction. The
current military government has adopted an excessively broad interpretation of
the code, effectively considering the entirety of the country to be under its
jurisdiction, CPJ research shows. In the past year, more than 12,000 civilians
have been tried in military courts, where defendants have curtailed rights, the
proceedings are opaque, and the prosecution must meet a lower burden of proof.
Human rights groups have found that the proceedings fail to meet the standards
outlined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Egypt is a signatory.

The constitutionality of the practice has been challenged in cases
now before Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court, CPJ research shows.

"Authorities must end the practice of hauling
critics before military prosecutors every time they disagree with something
written or said," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa
program coordinator. "This contrived complaint should be dismissed
immediately."

The journalists have been harassed in the past by the military, its
supporters, and its proxies, CPJ research shows. In May, the military summoned Maged
for questioning, and Fouda, who has constantly faced pressure and censorship, twice took his show off the air in
protest, in May and October. Abd el-Fattah was detained for
two months in late October after
refusing to be interrogated by military prosecutors and still
faces charges of "inciting violence against the military," among others. In
January, Negm was physically assaulted by
a mob believed to be made up of supporters of the military.

Dozens of journalists have been questioned by military prosecutors
for being critical of the military's actions, CPJ research shows. Maikel Nabil
Sanad, a critical blogger, was imprisoned for
close to 10 months for "insulting the military" and stood trial in military
courts.